An analysis of recall effects in short-term memory

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which recall measures of short-term retention vary with the number of items for which recall is required. The S s looked at arrays containing from eight to 20 consonants, and were subsequently asked to recall one, four, or all of the items. Accuracy of recall was a function of both the number of items presented and the number of items requested in recall, but the effects of the two variables did not interact, the decrement in accuracy per item recalled being constant and independent of the number of items presented. It follows that although scores of total recall are inaccurate as measures of absolute retention, they are not necessarily less precise or reliable than partial recall scores.